


Dealer

by ashitanoyuki



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Deals, Demon Deals, Gen, deals with monsters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-21
Updated: 2014-09-21
Packaged: 2018-02-18 05:38:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2337155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashitanoyuki/pseuds/ashitanoyuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bela knows what it's like to be a monster. It's not bad business to help out her fellow creatures.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dealer

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this one-shot in the works for a long time. I've always felt that Bela would sympathize with monsters more than hunters, but there's really not enough fic exploring this possibility.

The first time Abbie (no, Bela now) encountered a Djinn, it tried to back her up against a wall, glowing blue hand straining for her face. The talismans that repelled all manner of supernatural creatures kept the thing at bay, and the little slip of an inhuman girl was left hungry, wanting and alone in a dank, filthy alleyway. As Bela slipped through the streets, past a group of burly, drunken men ( _Hey baby show us dem titties!)_ she found herself hoping that they stumbled across the child. The djinn wasn’t doing anything she didn’t need to survive, after all.

The second time Bela encountered the Djinn was years later, when the girl (woman now) edged nervously into her plush hotel room, a wad of cash clutched in her hand. “I’m being hunted,” she said, her voice small. Bela wondered if the girl recognized her as escaped prey—probably not. “Please. They say you can help.” Bela didn’t bother asking who “they” were.

A protection talisman, one that would cause the eyes of hunters to slide right past the girl, allowing her to hide in plain sight. The Djinn clutched it closely to her chest, sliding the enormous stack of hundred-dollar bills across the room’s complimentary mahogany table. “I—it’s not enough,” she said, her voice shaking. “I can pay in installments? I can get the rest of the money, I swear.”

Bela hummed to herself, thumbing through the crisp bills. Three-hundred thousand dollars, for a talisman worth seven million. “Everything seems to be in order,” she said, offering the creature a smile. “You’ve paid in full.”

“I—”

“You’ve paid in full,” Bela repeated. She nodded at the door. “Go, now. Don’t you dare lose that talisman.”

Out almost seven million dollars, but she’d recoup those losses easily enough. Bela smiled as the door closed behind the Djinn, placing the money carefully in the hotel safe. Bump up the price on those Moroccan herbs (amazing how people would pay more than market price for simple plants if you tacked the name of an “exotic” country onto them) and she would be well on her way to making up the difference.

0o0o0o0o0

It wasn’t the first nest of vampires that had come to her, and it wouldn’t be the last. The leader stood before her, shifting nervously, as two of his nest-mates held up his limp, delirious paramour. “Antidote for dead man’s blood,” the man said gruffly, passing a pouch across the table. “It’s a good trade. Spirit catchers from the old religion—not that fake stuff you buy at craft fairs. It’s legit.”

Bela nodded and examined the contents of the bag. “You don’t need an antidote,” she said calmly. “They’re expensive and overrated. The dead man’s blood will pass from her system in a few hours.”

“You don’t understand,” the vampire said desperately. “We’re being hunted. Walker. You might have heard of him. If Katy can’t move…”

Oh, she’d heard of Walker. Nasty piece of work, that man. Bela sighed—her bank account was going to regret this—and dug through one of her many designer suitcases, pulling out a small wooden carving. “Hang this on the wall of your nest,” she ordered. “You’ll be invisible to anyone with harmful intent. Don’t let her leave the nest until Walker has left the area, understood?”

The vampire frowned, watching her warily. “How much?” he asked.

“On the house,” Bela said, her lips turning up in a wry grin. “Consider this a gift to first-time customers. I expect you will come to me if you need anything else, and we’ll talk business.”

0o0o0o0o0

Werewolves and rakshasa, shapeshifters and skinwalkers and even a few sirens—as the years ticked by, Bela found herself visited by a variety of supernatural creatures. Some were customers like any other; some, however, came seeking protective talismans and sigils that only she had for sale. They did not come frequently enough to make a real dent in her sales, and word spread through various monster communities. Deal with Bela Talbot, they all said. She’ll give you a good price, a generous price, and she won’t turn you in. She’ll never cheat you, never send hunters after you.

As the ten year mark loomed ever closer, Bela was unsurprised to find herself visited by demons with an increasing frequency; the one in her house now was hardly an unexpected visitor. “Seems sentimental,” the woman said, toying with her long blonde hair.

Bela snorted, rolling her eyes. “As if you’d ever understand, Ruby,” she said dryly, rolling a protection charm idly between her fingers.

“You’re right, I don’t understand.” Ruby folded her arms across her chest. “You’re practically giving these objects away. Why? You could have increased your fortune exponentially if you’d sold them for what they’re worth.”

Bela sighed and placed the charm down, staring intently at Ruby. “They call them monsters,” she said. “They call them monsters, and they hunt them, and they kill them. They call them monsters, because they kill humans to survive.”

“If the shoe fits, wear it,” Ruby pointed out.

Bela nodded. “The shoe fits,” she said. “They’re monsters because they kill? So am I. They’re only doing what they have to do, in order to survive. As did I.” She glared at the demon, who smirked back.

“See? Sentimental.” Ruby watched her curiously. “You’re still going to Hell.”

“And I won’t miss the money there, will I?” Bela shook her head. “No. It’s not monstrous to survive. It’s monstrous to kill people for doing what they must to live.”

Ruby laughed. “You’ll fit in downstairs, all right,” she said, her smirk widening. “Halfway to being a demon already, aren’t you?”

Bela shrugged. “Never denied it,” she said.

Maybe she was a monster. Maybe there was something inhuman about her. But she’d never (not once) done anything that hadn’t been wholly necessary, anything she had not needed to do to survive.

“So,” the demon said, idly twirling a strand of hair between her fingertips. “I’d like to make you a deal.”

Deals with demons never ended well. “It will cost you,” Bela said, hiding her nerves behind a cool, business-like demeanor.

Ruby smiled, baring her teeth. “Lilith holds your contract, doesn’t she?” the demon asked sweetly. “I know she told you she’d let you out of it if you killed the Winchesters. I know you’re hot on their trail.” The demon laid a hand on her arm, her cool touch sending shivers up Bela’s spine. “Say you let Sam Winchester live, and I make sure you get out of your deal.” Her grin widened as she met Bela’s eyes. “What do you say to that?”


End file.
